Storm Causes Flooding and Damage Along Lake Garda
A storm like the one that struck Lake Garda yesterday afternoon had not been remembered for a long time, although often, in summer, the sky causes damage. Water mixed with hail fell abundantly between Salò and Toscolano at 4:30 PM, causing traffic issues due to flooding on the state highway in Gardone Riviera. The road turned into a river, with water surpassing 40 centimeters in some spots. Dozens of cars broke down. Amidst the chaos, a couple of vans were also stranded in front of the Grand Hotel. The roads upstream dumped thousands of liters of water onto the Gardesana, which remained blocked until the liquid and mud began to flow away.
Long queues became inevitable in both directions. Numerous broken branches and tree trunks also ended up on the road due to the wind. The most significant problems occurred in Montemaderno, where a large tree fell. In Toscolano, a cypress about fifteen meters tall, one of the trees in Villa Adele’s park, fell and damaged the railing.
Events and damages in the affected areas
No injuries or damage to parked cars near the “piantone,” perhaps the largest tree in Garda that draws visitors every year to the confluence of Lungolago Zanardelli and Via Foscolo. In the evening, the fire brigade removed it. The Toscolano fire brigade intervened.
Much more serious trouble, unfortunately, occurred in Moniga, where hail truly left its mark. Hailstones, sometimes as large as walnuts, fell to the ground for many minutes, affecting a territory that also included Padenghe. The chaos erupted around 7 PM, causing substantial damage to cars (scratched exteriors and shattered windshields), houses, and especially crops; not to mention campsites and boats.
A preliminary survey was conducted by Deputy Mayor Enzo Dolci, but naturally, police, carabinieri, and fire brigade also responded to the area, working to clear basements and cellars of mud and water. Numerous incidents occurred between Padenghe and Moniga, requiring considerable effort from police, carabinieri, and firefighters.
“It was chaos. It looked like a tornado. The sky was as black as coal,” recount Mario Cassano and his wife Lucia from Milan, on vacation at Garda. Their car broke down. There was also real concern in the upper part of Garda Brescia: in Limone, rain and muddy runoff down the valley raised fears of a new landslide after the one that buried a hotel parking lot a few weeks ago. Furthermore, it appears that the situation is not yet over.
Yesterday, a weather pre-alert was officially issued in Lombardy. The passage of a disturbance, as we saw, already affected the region yesterday afternoon with violent precipitation. The most affected areas were the Alps, Prealps, and the western high plains. Based on forecast data, the Pirellone (Lombardy regional government) ordered a code one alert — for hydrogeological risk — in seven provinces starting from 6 PM yesterday.